Closure for bottles and the like



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,614

gvwemtoz W W Wwuil/b Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED -s ArEs.

"1,656,614. PATENT, OFFICE.

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TION O1 MARYLAND.

CLOSURE son :BorrLEs Ann-"run mu. 7

Application filed September a, 1924. lerlal no. 736,215.

This invention relates to closures for hottles and the like and particularly to closures of the crown cork type.

The well known crown cork is a bottle closure comprising a metal shell or crown having a corrugated skirt, within which is a sealing disk. The closure is applied to the mouth of a bottle with cons derable pressure to effect a seal and the skirt of the 1 crown is crimped about the bottle mouth to secure the crown inplace.

In bottling liquids under-pressure, such as sodas, beers and the like, and in packa ing foods and the like under vacuum, a t orough sealing action is required in order to hold the plus or minus pressure. This can ordinarily be obtained by the use of high grade cork disks, that is, disks devoid of' holes or cracks. In the production of cork disks, however, either of natural or composition cork, there is a considerable percentage of low grade disks, unsuitable f or the uses referred to. Further, in packaging certain liquids and food products it is undesirable to have the contents come into contact with cork. To protect the contents-of the receptacle from the cork of the closure it has been proposed to face the cork disks with a protecting covering. Crowns are known comprising the usual shell, a cork sealing disk and a facing of parchment, varnished paper or the like. Such closures however, do not meet the sealing requirements in the uses above referred to as the facings are almost devoid of elasticity. Even with the cork backing the elasticity has been found insufiicient to effect proper sealing in packaging liquids under relatively high pressure or vacuum. Moreover, these facin s are apt to tear.

t is the principal object of the present invention to provide a closure of the crown type such that the packa ed material is not exposed to cork, such t at a proper seal for liquids and the like under relatively high pressure or vacuum can be eifected; and such that the low grade cork disks may be utilized in making the closure. V

With this general object in view the invention consists in the closure which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out. The drawing shows in enlarged cross section, a closure constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring" to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the closure shown comprises 'a metal shellor crown 11. This shall has the usual corrugated skirt 12 for securing the closure to a receptacle, such as a bottle. sklrt, and engaging1 the inner wall of the crown, the closure as a compound sealing d sk comprising an inner disk and an outer d sk. The inner disk is characterized by a hlgh degree of elasticity. In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated as an exam le, the inner disk 14 is, formed of cork. is may be either natural cork or composltlon cork, i. e., agglomerated cork granules. The cork is formed into disks 1n any suitable manner.

The outer disk is characterized b a'high degree of elasticity, toughness an imperviousness to moisture. In closures embody- Within the ing the invention to the best advantage the outer disk is also substantially tasteless and odorless. In the present exem lification the outer disk 15 is made of a syn etic material .comprising a rubber compound, such as latex, and paper pulp. This'material may have various compositions and be prepared 1n varlous ways. For example, a convenient material comprises a sheet or web of high porosity formed by a paper-making process and composed of loosely-matted relatively-loni fibres each of which is coated with a ru ber compound. From this sheet or web the disks are cut in any suitable manner. The compound disk may be assembled in the metal shell in any suitable manner. For example, the inner cork disk may be secured in place by means of a binding agent between the inner face of the disk and the wallet the shell. Likewise, the outer disk may be secured to the inner disk by a binding agent either before or after the innerdisk 'is assembled. Suitable binding agents are known in the closure art and no further descri t'ion is here necessary. a

If esired, the outer disk 15 may have a rotective coating of a character to improve its appearance and to increase its imperviousness to the action of the acidulous and alkaline liquids. This coating may be a wax, cellulose vegetableoil, or varnish-like product, combined or uncombined with pigment. If a pigment is used it should referabl be inert insoluble in water an not readil attacks by organic or mineral acids. An example of such a igment is titanox, a mixture of barium sulp ate and titanium oxide. Such a coating serves to roteet the disk from the bottled liquid an to protect the liquid from the disk. Y

The coating described is relatively thin and is not illustrated but it will be clear that if a coating is used, it is applied in any suitable manner, to the outer face of the outer disk 15.

Instead of the coating described, parafiin or other mineral or ve etable wax may be sweated into the pores o? the outer disk. To such wax may be added aluminum stearate or the equivalent to make the wax less' prising a metal shell and a disk for sealing porous.

The closure described is well adapted to the uses above mentioned. It is capable of giving a roper seal in packaging materials under re atively high pressure or vacuum and at the same time it makes possible the utilization of low grade cork disks. Moreover, in case cork is used for the inner element of the compound disk, the outer disk protects the contents from the cork and consequently the closures can'be used in cases where even high grade natural cork is undesirable.

The term bottle is used in specification and claims in a comprehensive sense to include all like rece tacles.

What is claime is:

1. A closure for bottles and the like, comprising a metal shell and a compound sealmg disk comprising an inner cork element and an outer element formed by a papermaking process and composed of looselymatted relatively-long fibres each of which is coated with a rubber compound.

2. A closure for bottles and the like, commy hand.

. ALBIN H. WARTR 

